Soundcraftsmen
Ralph Yeomans founded Soundcraftsmen in 1961; he was a concessionaire in the Fedco discount chain. In 1968 he and Charles Gassett hired engineer Paul Rolfes to design the company's first product, a graphic equalizer, something not yet on the consumer market. It was shown at the 1969 Consumer Electronics Show in New York and reached national distribution in late 1970.
Preamplifiers and power amplifiers followed in the mid-1970s, including the first combined preamplifier and equalizer, and the compact "brick" power amplifiers built a following through the 1970s and 1980s. All were made at the company's facility in Santa Ana, California. MTX bought Soundcraftsmen in 1991 and discontinued the line in the mid-1990s.
Soundcraftsmen was a manufacturer of high-end audio stereo components located in Santa Ana, California, United States. The company was founded in 1961 by Ralph Yeomans, a concessionaire in Fedco (a discount membership store chain in southern California, until the chain closed in 1999). Early Soundcraftsmen components included tube-type receivers and amplifiers.
Ralph and Charles decided the first product was to be an equalizer, something not already on the market. They employed an electronics engineer, Paul Rolfes, in 1968 to design the equalizer. It was introduced by Charles at the 1969 CES in New York. National distribution started in late 1970. In the mid 1970s they introduced their line of preamplifiers and power amplifiers, including the first preamplifier/equalizer combo. Soundcraftsmen equalizers and their compact “brick” style power amplifiers gained a sizable following among audiophiles during the 1970s and 1980s. All Soundcraftsmen equalizers and amplifiers were made at the company’s Santa Ana, California facility.